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By JOHN MAROCCHI
A proposed middle school for Rappahannock County has aroused great interest and
controversy, evident at the well attended meeting last week at the high school.
The most important issues in this, as in any discussion of public schools, are: Is another school building needed? Will it improve education? What will the tax burden be?
Some have a simple answer: “The experts say we need the new school, and they know. Of course it will improve education. Taxpayers can and must give more support, more money for schools.”
Are those answers correct? Only if proponents ignore inconvenient but incontrovertible facts:
a. Of seven technologically advanced nations, the United States spends most per pupil for education—and has the worst results.
b. Among the 60 states, South Dakota spends the least in average teacher salary, near the least per pupil, yet scores near the top in test (ACT and SAT) results.
c. Between 1980-81 and 1990-91, spending per pupil in Rappahannock County, after correcting for inflation, doubled, from $2,084 to $4,174; in the same period, test scores went from slightly below to slightly above the average for Virginia.
The middle school solution, claim those who support it, will best solve an anticipated space shortage. Several speakers at the recent meeting strongly questioned both the need for
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